>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU?
HOW YOU DOING?
>> I AM SENSATIONAL.
I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> YEAH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ON YOUR SHOW.
>> Stephen: FIRST TIME WE MET JUST A MOMENT OKAY.
>> YES, JUST BACKSTAGE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU LIVE OUT HERE OR IN L.A.
>> I LIVE IN L.A.
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK TO THE EAST COAST.
>> I COME HERE ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: ME, TOO, I LIKE IT.
>> JUST TO LOOK.
>> Stephen: SURE, WHY NOT.
YOU'RE FUNNY, YOU'RE TALENTED, YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL, YOU'RE
ATTRACTIVE.
>> DID MY MOM CALL YOU BEFORE THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: SHE DID.
SHE GOT TO ME.
>> GIVE YOU SOME AFFIRMATIONS FOR AISHA.
>> Stephen: YOU CLAIMED YOU WERE A WEIRD KID.
>> I WAS THE WEIRDEST KID.
>> Stephen: IN WHAT WAY WERE YOU-- I HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU
HERE.
>> I KNOW THAT PHOTO, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S A VERY PROUD DAY FOR ME, YOU GUYS.
THERE I AM, WINNING "BEST EFFORT" AT THE SCIENCE FAIR.
THERE GU. >> Stephen: BEST EFFORT.
>> BEST EFFORT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: I BELIEVE-- I BELIEVE THAT THEY DO GIVE OUT A
NOBEL PRIZE IN BEST EFFORT.
>> IN BEST EFFORT.
IT'S "GOOD FOR YOU FOR DOING."
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE PROJECT?
>> I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS-- I WAS A VERY NERDY KID.
LOOK AT-- LOOK AT THE CASSIA WATCH.
LOOK AT THE FUTURE-TELLING GLASSES-- LOOK INTO MY EYES!
I HAVE ONE OF THOSE CRAZY BELTS THAT WERE, LIKE, MADE OUT OF
JUMPSUIT VINYL.
I COULD MAKE A PARACHUTE OUT OF IT.
I WAS THE WEIRDEST KID.
>> Stephen: SURE JIERVETION GROWING PLANTS WITH ULTRAVIOLET
BULBS BECAUSE I WAS A LAZY BASTARD.
THAT WAS THE EASY SCIENCE THING.
"I DON'T KNOW, WILL THE PLANT GROW BETTER IN LIGHT OR FAKE
LIGHT?" LOOK IT UP.
>> Stephen: UNLESS YOU'RE GROWING WEED.
>> IN WHICH CASE -- >> Stephen: YEAH, THAT HELPS.
>> I WAS A REALLY NERDY-- I WAS A REALLY NERDY KID.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR WEIRDEST EXPRESSION OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WEIRD, BUT I HEARD YOU GROUP UP ON AN
ASHRAM?
>> NOT MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD, BUT MY PARENTS MOVED TO CALIFORNIA
IN THE 60s.
YOU KNOW, THEY MEDITATED AND THEY WERE VEGETARIANS.
AND I'VE BEEN THIS TALL, YOU GUYS, SINCE PRESCHOOL.
I'M NOT JOKING.
I WAS JUST BLACK-ZILLA, TRAMPLING CAUCASIAN KIDS,
SMEARING THOAM A PASTE ON THE PLAYGROUND.
AND THEN WHEN I WAS MAYBE EIGHT OR NINE, I LIVED IN AN ASHRAM
FOR A WHILE.
BUT IT WAS AN URBAN ASHRAM IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.
>> Stephen: LIKE NAMASTE.
>> LIKE NAMASTE, MEDITATE, THE WHOLE NINE.
IT WAS KIND OF COOL BECAUSE IF YOU WERE A KID YOU COULD KIND OF
JAM AROUND ON YOUR OWN UNSUPERVISED.
>> Stephen: WAS IT A COMPOUND?
WAS IT A BUILDING?
>> IT WAS BOTH.
IT WAS A BUILDING AND A COMPOUND.
LOOK AT THAT.
TWO THINGS.
IT WAS A-- THAT'S NOT A WORD.
IT WAS, LIKE, A BIG BUILDING-- IT'S STILL THERE.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR, LIKE, 40 YEARS.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S IT CALLED?
>> I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I BLACKED THAT WHOLE PART OF MY
LIFE OUT.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT-- I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT IN THERAPY.
THERE WERE FUN PARTS, LIKE THE KIND OF INDEPENDENCE, YOU WHERE
YOU HAD TO DO CHORES.
AND THE FOOD WAS A BUMMER, MAN.
>> Stephen: A LOT OF CHICOPEES.
>> A LOT OF CHICK PEAAS IS.
GROUND UP, LEFT ON THE DOORSTEP.
>> Stephen: BUT VEGETARIAN.
>> AND THERE WAS A BREAKFAST ITEM CALLED SOUR CEREAL, WHICH
IF YOU'RE A KID HAS TO BE THE WORST POSSIBLE THING TO PUT IN
YOUR MOUTH.
ALL OTHER KIDS GET MARSHMALLOWS, OR CHARMS.
SOMETHING THAT TURNS YOUR MILK BLACK.
THE MILK IS SO CHOCOLATY IT'S BLACK, SLUDGE.
AND I GOT SOUR CEREAL.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS SOUR SEALAR?
>> IT'S GROUND UP GRAIN, COCONUT, SPICES, AND MY OWN
SALTY TEARS, MY FRIEND.
>> Stephen: WAS THIS-- WAS THIS A CULT?
>> IT WASN'T A CULT.
THEY'RE STILL THERE.
>> Stephen: IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT A CULT!
CULTS CAN LAST A LONG TIME!
I'M A CATHOLIC!
>> THAT CURL CULT HAS STAYING POWER.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> IT REALLY STUCK IN THERE.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
NOT A CULT, THOUGH.
>> THAT CULT HAS LEGS.
JUST HIPPIES MEDITATING AND STUFF.
>> Stephen: THAT'S COOL.
>> YOU KNOW HOW HIPPIES DO.
>> Stephen: YOU GREW UP WITH YOUR DAD, RIGHT?
>> MY PARENTS SEPARATED WHEN I WAS 10.
>> Stephen: WAS HE STRICT DAD, FUN DAD?
>> MY DAD WAS A FUNNILY STRICT DAD.
>> Stephen: FUNNILY STRICT.
>> FUNNILY STRICT.
MY DAD-- I LOVE HIM.
HE'S STILL AROUND.
HI, DAD!
AND HE HAD A LOT OF SAYINGS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> AND HE WOULD GIVE ME THESE LITTLE MOTTOES.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS WHEN I WOULD LEAVE THE HOUSE HE WOULD GO,
"KEEP YOUR GRADES AND YOUR DRAWS UP."
THAT WAS A FAVORITE.
HE SAID THAT TO ME UNTIL I WAS, LIKE, 35.
AND ANOTHER ONE-- THIS IS WHEN I WAS PRETTY YOUNG.
WE HAD THIS LITTLE BACK-AND-FORECAST.
AND I'D LEAVE AND HE'D STOP ME ON THE STAIRS AND SAY, "WHO'S
DAY IS IT?" I SAID, "MY DAY."
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT?"
"I GRAB IT BY THE (BLEEP)."
>> Stephen: KEEP YOUR DRAWS UP AND GRAB IT BY THE (BLEEP).
>> WHICH WOULD ALSO BE GOOD IN CERTAIN DATING SITUATIONS.
AND HE WOULD SAY, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?"
AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, "AND TWIST AND TWIST!"
>> Stephen: SERIOUSLY.
WOW, WOW.
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY-- IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE.
IT WAS EFFECTIVE MESSAGING, EFFECTIVE DAD MESSAGING.
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY SWEET.
>> YEAH.
MY DAD EYE WROTE ABOUT THIS IN MY BOOK, BUT, LIKE, A SINGLE
FATHER OF A DAUGHTER, LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD IS JUST, LIKE,
BROKEN GLASS AND OPEN LAVA PITS.
AND YOUR DAUGHTER IS LIKE THIS LITTLE KITTEN, AND YOU'RE LIKE
HOW AM I GOING TO MAKE THIS TINY KITTEN STRONG ENOUGH TO WEATHER
ALL OF THESE TERRIBLE DANGERS?
SO HE WOULD JUST SCREAM AT ME ABOUT TESTICLES TO MAKE ME TOUGH
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AND KEEP YOU IN THE ASHRAM.
E.P.A. YOU IN THE ASHRAM.
NOW YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, AND NOW YOU'RE
DIRECTING. >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW MOVIE CALLED "AXIS."
>> "AXIS," YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THIS MOVIE ABOUT?
>> "AXIS" IS A THRILLER.
IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE MOVIE.
IT'S ABOUT AN AGENCY-PATRIOT IRISH ACTOR WHO LIVES IN L.A.
HAD SUCCESS EARLY ON HIS CAREER AND, YOU KNOW, MADE A LOT OF
MONEY, A SINGLE GUY WITH DEEP POCKETS AND PARTIED A LOT.
AND HE KIND OF MADE A MESS OF HIS LIFE.
IN THE MOVIE HE'S REALLY TRYING TO MUTT HIS LIFE BACK TOGETHER.
HE'S TRYING TO BE A BETTER VERSION OF HIMSELF.
WE CAN ALL RELATE.
YOU'RE NIGHT BAD PERSON, BUT YOU'VE DONE A FEW BAD THINGS.
YOU'RE TRYING TO BE A BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF.
THE WHOLE MOVIE TAKES PLACE IN A CAR DRIVING THROUGH L.A., IN
REAL TIME, AS HE'S DRIVING TO MEET THE PERSON HE LOVES, HIS
WHOLE LIFE STARTS TO CRUMBLE DOWN AROUND HIM.
IT'S ABOUT A GUY TRYING TO HOLD HIS LIFE TOGETHER, TRYING TO
HOLD HIS RELATIONSHIPS TOGETHER, AND STAY SOBER.
WHICH SOUNDS LIKE -- >> Stephen: WHILE HE'S
DRIVING.
>> WHILE HE'S DRIVING, WHILE HE'S DRIVING, WHICH IS HARD TO
DO.
IT SOUNDS LEAK A BUMMER BUT IT'S CAPTIVATING AND FUNNY.
IT'S VERY DARKLY FUNNY.
AND THE LEAD ACTOR, EMMETT HUGHES, HE WROTE THE FILM, AND
INTRODUCING HIM,,S YOU HE'S A NEWCOMER AND A SENSATIONAL
ACTOR. >> Stephen: ARE YOU IN IT?
>> I'M IN IT.
HE CARRIES THE FILM.
HE'S ON THE SCREEN THE WHOLE TIME.
I'M IN IT.
SAM ROCKWELL IS IN IT.
HE WASN'T AN OSCAR WINNER BEFORE THE MOVIE BUT HE IS NOW.
YOU'RE WELCOME, SAM.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
>> HE PHONED IN HIS ROLE.
HE DID IT ON THE SHOW WHILE FILMING THE "BILLBOARDS" AND THE
PEOPLE LOVE, THOMAS GIBSON, AND THEN I WENT TO ALL MY FRIENDS
AND BEGGED THEM TO WORK FOR FREE.
THEY'RE OF THEY WERE REALLY NICE ABOUT IT, TO A POINT, ANYWAY.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: "AXIS" IS NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND.
AISHA TYLER, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.